Self Destruct
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Mindy and Danny struggle as their relationship starts to self-destruct. Mindy/Danny


**Disclaimer**: I don't own The Mindy Project and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

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Mindy and Danny fell into a relationship pretty easily, which surprised them both. However, they had one big problem – They tended to fight. A lot. It drove everyone around them crazy, but the two seemed happy with their relationship which led to no one saying anything about it.

But things started to fall apart for them about eight months in. Their relationship started to self-destruct and the fighting got worse. "I'm tired of seeing you go out and drink at those clubs! I want to just enjoy a night with you, but no, you have to go out!"

"Sometimes I don't want to stay in all night with you! Why is that a problem? I get sick of watching your movies with you all the time!" Danny would never get sick of that, honestly, but lately they were fighting over everything. It was driving him crazy.

Mindy rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's a problem! Other girls hit on you all the time."

He leered at her. "Jealous?"

"Danny, be serious! I hate it. I want us to be happy." She tried to stop the tears and failed.

"Please don't cry. You know I can't stand it." He wanted to wipe the tears away, but they were still fighting and he was pretty sure that meant he couldn't comfort her.

"Well, I can't help it. And this is your fault. I don't want to fight anymore, Danny. This isn't healthy, what we're doing." She didn't want to break up, but it was looking more and more likely.

Danny didn't want to break up either, so he put off the inevitable. "Why don't I go home so we can both cool down? We can talk things out in the morning." This was beginning to remind him of the last few months of his marriage, and he didn't like that comparison at it. Frankly, it was pretty terrifying. He wanted to make this relationship work, which is why Danny was trying to put so much effort into keeping it afloat.

"Sure, fine. I'll see you at work tomorrow." She kissed him, but it was pretty tense. Mindy tried not to think of why that was. She pretended it was the sad movie that made her cry herself to sleep that night. And she and Danny avoided any topic that had let to their fight the previous night.

This continued on for a few weeks until Danny finally snapped. He sighed; finally ready to admit what he hadn't wanted to before. He closed his eyes and steeled for the pain he was about to cause them both. "This clearly isn't working anymore, right?"

Mindy turned and stared at him. "What are you talking about? We fight, but every couple does. That doesn't mean this isn't working anymore!" She was panicking and knew it, but didn't want to go down this road. She didn't want their relationship to end, even though right now it seemed like the only solution.

"Mindy, please. I love you, but we're clearly incompatible. We tried to make it work and it just isn't happening. And I'd rather be your friend than for us to end up hating each other and divorced." He was having vivid flashbacks to his previous, but didn't mention that.

"That's the first time you ever said you loved me." She had known it, of course, but Danny had trouble saying those three words. She had told him multiple times, but he had avoided the subject. It was one of the main reasons they fought so much.

"Well, you didn't know? I thought my actions said it for me. Other than the fights, anyway." He frowned, suddenly cursing himself for being so stupid. How could he believe that Mindy knew how he felt about her when he had never told her before? Maybe this wouldn't have happened if they had been able to communicate more efficiently.

"Well, they didn't. It seemed like half the time you were just tolerating me, like you did before we even got together. It hurts, Danny. But I am glad to know how you feel, even if it is too late. I'll always love the time we had together – Minus the fighting, that is. And I'll always remember them in a slow mo montage."

He rolled his eyes (and laughed), but wrapped her up in a hug. "Well, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I really am an idiot sometimes. And can we be friends? People always say that, but I honestly don't think that works."

She bit her lip to stop the tears from flowing – She was going to be strong and not fall apart for once. The last time a relationship had ended this badly she had ended up getting arrested. "I think we can try. It's going to be hard, but let's try and make it work." And yup, Mindy had failed. There were the tears she was trying so hard to stop.

He wiped the tears off her face with his thumb and kissed her one last time. "I'll remember them in a slow mo montage, too." He wouldn't, but felt like lying to make her feel better. Mindy knew it too, but she didn't call him out on it. She really didn't have the energy, especially when she was trying so hard to stop crying.

"Well, at least we're not self-destructing anymore. We should try and move on, but not too fast. I don't want to see that." It would hurt more than it already was. She hadn't felt this way in a long time and just wished the pain would go away. But it would be there for a long time.

He nodded. "That's true. Goodbye, Lahiri. I'll see you at work tomorrow." He hugged her and then walked out of her life – At least her personal one. They still had to work together, after all, and they would try their best to be professional about it. (It wouldn't be an easy task, especially since this was Mindy and Danny.)

It was hard, but eventually, Mindy and Danny moved on and became friends again. They would always love each other, but they couldn't make a relationship work. He even attended the wedding a few years later when she found a guy who treated her well and they got married. She helped him propose to his girlfriend only a few months after that.

Sometimes, friendship was the best solution, and Mindy and Danny had to learn that the hard way. They didn't work well in a relationship.

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**Author's Note** - I don't want this to happen - Mindy and Danny should be happy - but this is one possible path I see their relationship taking.


End file.
